The Three Furies (Erec Rex) (51 page)

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"That's a good one," King Augeas said, excited. "I'll take it."

Danny lifted off the floor, screaming, then collapsed to the ground. Out of him stepped a humongous duck, twenty feet tall. A shadow version of Danny pulled himself out of his own chest and began to run from the duck.

Everyone in the room was transfixed by the dream characters, except for Balor, who sat unaware with the sheet over him. King Augeas watched, spellbound.

Now was the time. Erec scoured the room but could not see any exits. Where did King Augeas take the sleeping bodies from here? Erec had been in the other room, but didn't know how they connected. He had to find the way.

Griffin was motioning to him, pointing at Balor. Erec looked harder. Under his throne it was dark, like a hole. King Augeas had balanced Balor's throne over the opening to his Nightmare Realm, probably just as one more way to torture him.

Erec slowly drifted close to Balor. He sat on the floor and leaned against the smaller ice throne. King Augeas was rubbing his hands together, caught up in the giant duck chasing Danny down the street.

What a weird nightmare, Erec thought.

Griffin sat next to him. Then, in one swift motion, Erec slid under the throne and down the hole.

A short drop led to the room where Erec had woken from the Nightmare Realm. He could see the way outside into the arctic snow, but no other doors or openings. Nor did he see any sign of a sleeping Wandabelle. Could King Augeas have hidden her somewhere?

Erec searched, frustrated. Where could she be? His watch read 4:55. Danny's nightmare could be over at any minute.

There was nothing else to do. He set the clock down. "Be loud, okay, girl? You have to find the Clown Fairy and save her. It's really important."

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He climbed as far up into the tunnel as he could and jumped to reach for the ledge. Griffin's hand was there, and he pulled Erec out easily. Erec slid on his stomach under Balor's throne.

The figures from Danny's nightmare were growing hazy and shrinking. Soon they were tiny statues, spinning through the room into the trophy case alongside the others. Danny looked exhausted, but the king was brimming with excitement. He beckoned Sammy forward. She resisted, but Erec waved her on.

She kneeled before the king and looked into his eyes, hers widening in fright with what she saw there.

Erec did not wait any longer. He had to act fast. He reached up and pulled Balor Stain off of the ice throne.

"What are ye doing, cap'n? We going to do 'im in after all?"

"I'm saving him." Balor felt like a block of ice. Erec pushed him down the hole under the throne and heard him thud at the bottom. "Look at that." He peeked down the hole. "He has no idea where he is. Everything is black with the sheet over him, and he's just fallen down a hole. And he's still barely moving. This isn't the Balor I know and hate."

Sammy had dropped flat on the cave floor, and the king was leaning forward eagerly. Out of her was climbing Rosco Kroc, Danny, herself, Erec, and June.

Erec looked at his watch. 5:01. Had the alarm clock gone off? He hadn't heard anything. He had to get back down there and check. He would reset it if he had to. What now?

He pulled Danny over. "We're getting out of here soon. I'm going to push you down a hole now. I'm coming too." Danny dropped down, landing on Balor, then Erec slid after, landing on top of them both.

The alarm clock walked around as if nothing had happened. Erec's heart dropped. He couldn't leave Wandabelle here. But they

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didn't have much time. He felt the walls for a trap door. "Wandabelle!" he called out. "Are you here?"

"I am!" she exclaimed. Her voice sounded faint but close. When he swung around, though, nobody was there. "Thank you for saving me. That alarm clock woke me right up!" He turned again but saw nobody but Balor lying still on the floor and Danny rubbing his head.

"I'm right here, silly!" He felt a tug on his earlobe, and his hand shot up to it. Something fluttered in the air near his face. Wandabelle, about one inch tall, was flying in front of him.

"Is that you? Are you okay? How did you get so . . . small?"

"I'm always small." She laughed. "But in the Nightmare Realm we were all the same size, for some reason. I knew you'd get me out of there, Erec Rex! You're my hero!" She gave him a tiny kiss on the tip of his nose, which then itched like he got a mosquito bite.

"Stay here. I have to get Griffin and Sammy. Then we're getting out of here." The alarm clock looked up at him fearfully, as if it didn't want to be left behind, so he tossed it into his backpack. He pulled the sheet off Balor, turning him so he was facing the wall and could not see anything. Then he climbed back up in the tunnel. Griffin pulled him through the hole again.

Sammy's nightmare was in full force. Erec told Griffin, "Wandabelle's free, and she's tiny, like a little butterfly! Go down there. You'll see the door--get Wandabelle, Danny, and Balor out to safety. Cover Balor's eyes so he can't see anything. The Hermit should meet us out there. I'll bring Sammy down as soon as I can."

He was afraid to take her in the middle of her nightmare, in case it hurt her in some way. Plus King Augeas would certainly realize what was going on. So he waited, poised next to the king with the sheet. As soon as her dream figures started to grow small, Erec dropped the sheet over the king's head.

King Augeas looked around in shock, pushing madly at the

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sheet. His mouth was moving, but Erec could not hear what he said.

Erec grabbed Sammy, who was nearly unconscious, and slid down the hole with her. Running as fast as he could, they burst out the door in the swirling wintery winds.

The white seemed to go on forever, sucking the life and heat out of him as he staggered ahead. Snow blew into his face, freezing icy tears on his cheeks.

Sammy was heavy in his arms. Erec wasn't sure if she was awake, and hoped for her sake that she wasn't. Was Griffin able to carry Balor and Danny? he wondered. Had he found Wandabelle? And where were they? Where was the Hermit?

He wasn't so worried about Wandabelle. Now that she was freed from the Nightmare Realm, she would be fine. No place on Earth could hold her back. She was a fairy and had lived hundreds of years. Nonetheless, Erec would miss her. He wished Bethany had had a chance to meet her.

That made him smile, even in the wintery cold. Bethany was safe. Wandabelle was safe. And now the clowns would all be safe again. Too bad for Baskania. They would go on living normal lives, instead of dying out and being made to serve in his armies.

A flash of darkness appeared in the light, and then another. That was odd. Erec was quite sure that they were hands. He staggered ahead on legs like lead weights. Another dark hand appeared, this time in front of his face. It grabbed him by the collar and yanked--

--and he was inside the vestibule of the Port-O-Door, safe and sound. It shut behind him. Crowded in with him were the Hermit, Griffin, Balor, and Danny, now standing. Griffin had Balor in a headlock so he couldn't see anything around him. Balor wasn't resisting one bit. Sammy was stirring a little, so Erec set her down.

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She opened her eyes. "Wha--where are we? Was that real? I think I just fell asleep and had a nightmare."

"A real nightmare, I guess," Erec said. "We've done it. Thanks, guys."

Danny shot him a cutting look. "Thanks? We didn't do anything--except give you dead weight to carry. You're the one that saved Wandabelle."

Erec shook his head. "You did exactly what we needed. I couldn't have snuck away if you and Sammy didn't let him take your nightmares out. If Griffin and I were alone, how would we have distracted the king?"

Sammy was alert enough now to laugh. "So, does this mean we won't have those nightmares anymore?" She turned to Danny and laughed. "What was that about the giant duck?"

Danny's face reddened. "I haven't had that one for a long time. I was still little."

"I don't know." Sammy giggled. "You looked pretty old in the dream."

"Shut up, sis."

"What'er we going to do with this landlubber, cap'n?" Griffin dug his knuckles into Balor's head.

"Hermit?" Erec said. "Could you make the Port-O-Door open in Alypium? That's where you live, isn't it, Balor?"

His voice was muffled and defeated. "Umph. We live in Aorth and Alypium. Mom's in Alypium now, cuz they're building a . . ."

"A what?"

"Forget it."

Griffin twisted Balor's neck. "Answer 'im, ye filthy varmint, unless you want me to rearrange yer head so it permanently looks over yer backside."

Balor screeched in pain. "Stop! Ah--ah, I'll tell him!" He sneered.

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"He'll find out soon enough, anyway. They're building a castle for me in Alypium. Damon, Dollick and I finished most of our quests, and we'll be ready to rule soon."

"Your quests?" Erec noticed the twelve-segmented Amulet that mimicked his Amulet of Virtues dangling from Balor's neck. Nine of its segments were filled in. "How did you get that fake Amulet? I know it's not real--I'm the only one that the Fates let draw quests from Al's Well. You guys didn't even get an amulet from the first quest, and we were all there together."

"Who cares about the Fates," Balor spat. "They only like you, for some dumb reason. So we're making up our own game."

"For some reason? Maybe it's because I'm King Piter's kid, the rightful heir to the throne. Ever think about that for a reason? What reason do you have to rule? Your father--or clone, I should say--was never a king. He only wanted to be."

"He was more than a king, you fool. My clone-father invented this whole place with his own two hands. He
made
the Kingdoms of the Keepers so that he could rule it--if your family hadn't stepped in the way all those years ago. The Shadow Prince is the most powerful person on the planet."

That brought a question to Erec's mind. "What is Baskania's inborn magical gift?"

"Unh," Balor groaned as Griffin pushed his face into the wall. "Don't you know? Where have you been living, in a hole? The Shadow Prince was born with a special connection with the Substance. He can communicate with it and make it do what he wants."

"And you and your brothers? Do you have that same gift?"

Balor didn't answer, so Griffin gave him a yank.

"Ow! Cut it out. I don't have to answer that dumb question."

Griffin jerked Balor's head hard.

"Aaawwww. Stop! Okay. I don't have a stupid magical gift, okay?

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I guess clones don't get them. But that only makes me better, right? I do things myself, without relying on gifts to help me."

Erec was not sure if he felt more sorry for him or sickened by him. "So, do you want to be dropped off at your new palace, then?"

"No, take me home. My mom is at our house on Silver Street." The Hermit, who had been waiting patiently, brought up the Alypium map and found Balor's street. Balor seemed to droop into Griffin's arms, defeated. "Hey, Erec?"

"Yes?"

"Why did you save me?"

"Who knows? Maybe I'm a nice person. Just be glad and shut up."

That seemed to make Balor angry. "I'm not just your enemy, idiot. I'm a clone of your worst enemy. I tried to kill you, and . . . and don't think I won't again. What's wrong with you?"

"I don't know." Erec shrugged. "You're a kid. You can still change your mind and grow up to be half-decent, maybe."

The Hermit opened the door and Griffin shoved Balor onto the street. Erec's ear itched, but when he scratched it, a voice said, "Watch it! You almost knocked me over!"

"Wandabelle?"

She fluttered out in front of him. "Who did you think it was? The tooth fairy?" She flashed a tiny grin. "And what was that business about not trying to find me before you left?"

"I--I thought Griffin had you. Or that you went on your own. I'm sorry."

"I tried to take her," Griffin put in, apologetic. "But she wouldn't have it. Said you were saving her the whole way today."

Erec laughed. "I'm so glad you're free, Wandabelle. Do you want to come meet my family before going back to do . . . whatever it is that you do?"

Her laugh rang like a silver bell. "As a matter of fact, that was

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exactly
my plan. I have an important task to do, you know, for the clowns. And I need all of your help to do it."

Erec remembered her talking about fixing things "once and for all" for the clowns. Something she should have done before, that only she could make happen. "Is this what you were talking about?"

She nodded. "It's high time. Do you mind helping me?"

He grinned. "There's nothing I'd rather do."

Danny and Sammy were delighted with Wandabelle, and they happily agreed to help too. Sammy let Wandabelle ride on the tip of her nose while the Hermit opened the door into Aunt Salsa's apartment.

Bethany flew over and threw her arms around Erec. "You're safe! I've never been so glad to see anybody in my life." Erec was feeling mighty glad himself until she said, "They wouldn't let me leave until you were back. You were tying up the Port-O-Door. Come on! Let's go! Cinnalim is waiting."

Aunt Salsa rolled her eyes. "You can't imagine how hard it was to keep her here," she whispered. "I caught her trying to jump out of the window at one point." She pointed at Bethany. "You would have shriveled from the heat before you spattered on the ground! Is she always this impatient?"

Erec laughed, thinking about Danen's person magnet. "I know what you're going through, Bethany. I feel that way when I get a cloudy thought. If anything stops me from doing it, I go nuts."

"Let's go, then!" She took his hand and pulled him toward the Port-O-Door.

"Wait a minute. We have to help Wandabelle."

The Clown Fairy fluttered by. Her voice tinkled. "Go on, Erec. I'm going right now to help the clowns and get things straightened out for them. I won't need you and your family's help right away. I've waited for years for this. Another few days won't matter. It